Embedded communication device within a belt
A mobile communication device (10) embedded within a public safety officer's belt (11) can include a transceiver (14) integrated within the public safety officer's belt and a buckle (18) coupled to a first end of the public safety officer's belt having at least a portion of circuitry therein to enable the transceiver upon the buckling of the buckle to a mating portion (16) on a second end of the public safety officer's belt.
Not applicable
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to communication devices, and more particularly to a communication system and device integrated into a belt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPolice Officers carry a great deal of gear on their belt. Anything that would free up space on their belt would be beneficial. In addition, the radio currently can be misplaced, stolen, or lost. Embedding the radio in the officer's belt prevents this loss and ensures that the radio is always with them.
Furthermore, a radio that is off the waist of a police officer will typically be turned off in practice. Current radios and other embedded electronic devices fail to have a mechanism to ensure that the device is turned off or in a battery saving mode when not being worn. Otherwise, a device that is left on when not worn will effectively provide less battery life to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment of the present invention, a wearable communication device can include a belt having an integrated radio and a buckling mechanism having mating portions on opposing ends of the belt. The communication device can be constructed so that the integrated radio is enabled upon the buckling of the mating portions.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a mobile communication device embedded within a public safety officer's belt can include a transceiver integrated within the public safety officer's belt and a buckle coupled to a first end of the public safety officer's belt having at least a portion of circuitry therein to enable the transceiver upon the buckling of the buckle to a mating portion on a second end of the public safety officer's belt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
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Ergonomically, the wearable communication device can embed the circuitry of a police 2 way radio or iDEN radio into the belt 11 and distribute the required components around its perimeter to maximize conformability. Additionally, the wearable communication device 10 can have a mechanism and be otherwise programmed to turn the radio or transceiver on when the belt is buckled. The antenna 12 can run along the belt perimeter and can be embedded within it. Note that the device can include more than one antenna and is not necessarily limited to the configuration shown. The device 10 can also be arranged and constructed to allow the components of the radio and the battery to be removed from the belt for replacement or maintenance as necessary. Ideally, the device 10 can also include a radio power source that can be recharged while remaining in the belt. Possibly, an induction charging arrangement as known in the field of portable electrical devices can be used. For example, portable motorized toothbrushes typically contain a rechargeable battery which is charged by induction.
Referring to
The arrangement described above allows a police officer to utilize all of the voice functionality of existing radios without taking up any room on the officer's belt, thereby freeing the space for other equipment or significantly reducing the clutter on the belt.
In light of the foregoing description, it should be recognized that embodiments in accordance with the present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. A method and system for secure communications in a communication device according to the present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system or processor, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems or processors (such as a microprocessor and a DSP). Any kind of computer system, or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein, is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.
Additionally, the description above is intended by way of example only and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way, except as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A wearable communication device, comprising:
- a belt having an integrated radio; and
- a buckling mechanism having mating portions on opposing ends of the belt, wherein the integrated radio is enabled upon the buckling of the mating portions.
2. The wearable communication device of claim 1, wherein the integrated radio is selected from the group of devices comprising a public safety radio, an iDEN transceiver, a dispatch radio, a trunked two-way radio, a Bluetooth transceiver, a GPS receiver, a satellite phone, a cellular phone, and a cordless phone.
3. The wearable communication device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an embedded antenna coupled to the integrated radio.
4. The wearable communication device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a remote speaker/microphone input jack.
5. The wearable communication device of claim 1, wherein the buckling mechanism further comprises at least one among a user interface control and a memory card slot.
6. The wearable communication device of claim 5, wherein the buckling mechanism comprises the memory card slot for receiving a compact flash card.
7. The wearable communication device of claim 5, wherein the user interface control comprises at least one among a volume control, a push-to-talk button, a speaker, and a microphone.
8. The wearable communication device of claim 5, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of removable modules comprising at least one among radio components and a battery.
9. The wearable communication device of claim 1, wherein the belt can be worn around a waist, wrist, or ankle or slung across the chest.
10. The wearable communication device of claim 1, wherein the integrated radio remains in at least one of an off mode and a battery saving mode when the buckling mechanism is unbuckled.
11. A mobile communication device embedded within a public safety officer's belt, comprising:
- a transceiver integrated within the public safety officer's belt; and
- a buckle coupled to a first end of the public safety officer's belt having at least a portion of circuitry therein to enable the transceiver upon the buckling of the buckle to a mating portion on a second end of the public safety officer's belt.
12. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is selected from the group of devices comprising a public safety radio, an iDEN transceiver, a dispatch radio, a trunked two-way radio, a Bluetooth transceiver, a cellular phone, a satellite phone, and a cordless phone.
13. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises an embedded antenna coupled to the transceiver.
14. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a remote speaker/microphone input jack.
15. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the buckle further comprises at least one among a user interface control and a memory card slot.
16. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the buckle comprises the memory card slot for receiving a compact flash card.
17. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the user interface control comprises at least one among a volume control, a push-to-talk button, a speaker, and a microphone.
18. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the device further comprises a plurality of removable modules comprising at least one among radio components and a battery.
19. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the belt can be worn around a waist, wrist, or ankle or slung across the chest.
20. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the transceiver remains in at least one of an off mode and a battery saving mode when the buckle is unbuckled.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 18, 2003
Publication Date: May 19, 2005
Patent Grant number: 7116940
Inventor: Joseph Dvorak (Boca Raton, FL)
Application Number: 10/716,262